An electronic component supply apparatus is used in a component mounting apparatus (chip mounter) for producing an electronic circuit board by mounting an electronic component on a board having a circuit pattern formed thereon. This electronic component supply apparatus is for supplying an electronic component to be mounted on a board. Since various kinds of electronic components are handled with a component mounting apparatus, a plurality of electronic component supply apparatuses are provided in the component mounting apparatus in line with the number of electronic components to be handled by the component mounting apparatus.
A component mounting apparatus includes a component mounting head for taking out an electronic component supplied by an electronic component supply apparatus and moves the electronic component onto a board so as to be mounted at a predetermined position. The electronic component supply apparatus feeds a component stored tape which includes and stores an electronic component such that the electronic component comes to a take-out position thereof, as well as externally exposes the electronic component stored in the component stored tape such that the component mounting head can take out the electronic component. Background art of this technical field includes Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-225716 below.
On a tape feeder (electronic component supply apparatus) recited in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-225716, a first part is mounted, the first part including a reel holding unit for holding a reel on which a tape-shaped component (component stored tape) is wound, and a component supply unit (electronic component exposure unit) from which an electronic component is taken out. On the tape feeder, a second part is also mounted, the second part including a tape-shaped component feeding apparatus for feeding the component stored tape to the electronic component exposure unit. The first and second parts can be separated from each other, with the first part detachable from the second part that is commonly used with the first part.
However, in the electronic component supply apparatus recited in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-225716, the reel holding unit and the electronic component exposure unit included in the first part cannot be separated from each other. Accordingly, when the electronic component supply apparatus is resupplied with a new component stored tape of the same kind, or a component stored tape of a different kind, the first part including both the reel holding unit and the electronic component exposure unit should be replaced as a whole. This replacement work might displace a disposition position of the electronic component exposure unit, i.e. an electronic component take-out position. As a result, in electronic component take-out operation by a component mounting head, there might occur defective component take-out, or a need to again instruct a system about an electronic component take-out position.